Irish tourist mocks Brits as shares 'major' difference when he flies to Malaga

Dublin Live

18-06-2025

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A cheeky tourist has flaunted the special treatment Irish passport holders receive after touching down abroad. Comedian Peter Flanagan found himself breezing through a deserted queue at Malaga Airport, leaving UK citizens lined up for non-EU border control.
Mocking the waiting Brits, he quipped: "The humble and brave country of Ireland. Look at that now, oh yeah, that's good, that's good." Since Britain left the EU in 2020 following the 2016 Brexit vote, Brits have had to join a different queue to enter EU nations.
As part of Brexit, Brits lost their free movement privilege that EU members enjoy. In the comments section on his TikTok, one viewer noted: "Yes, UK passport holders will be able to use e-gates in the EU, following an agreement between the UK and the EU, though implementation will be phased in starting in October 2025."
Another commented: "I showed my Irish passport to UK customs officer and he said at least you have a real passport!".
A third remarked: "This is what we voted for. Some of us were educated and knew this kind of thing would happen and didn't vote for this."
An additional comment from a user read: "We British people would rather spend an extra 10 minutes waiting for immigration than waste billions to support the EU bureaucracy."
It comes after anti-tourism sentiment reached boiling point across Spain, with locals protesting against sky-high rents and a shortage of affordable housing for months on end.
In a bold move to voice their frustration, some protesters have resorted to defacing heritage sites with explicit graffiti, including messages like "f***ing tourists" and "get out of our city."
One of the historic buildings marred by vandals is the Royal Palace of La Almudaina, a 14th-century edifice that serves as the official residence for the King and Queen during their visits to Majorca. Alongside the Cathedral of Palma, it stands as an iconic symbol of the Balearic Islands' capital.
Other victims of the spray-paint attacks include the ancient stone walls near the 'Hort del Rei botanical gardens and Dalt Murada, a beautifully restored manor house.
The vandalism has left thousands of tourists who flock to the area each year in utter disbelief, while local tour guides have openly expressed their outrage.
Pro Guías Majorca, a tour guide company, has condemned the graffiti as a regrettable assault on Palma's cultural legacy, stating that "there are many ways to protest, as long as the forms are appropriate, and it is an inalienable right. But this is unforgivable."
They argue that whoever is responsible for the damage is not only attacking the city but also undermining the very values that define their community.
Meanwhile, residents, no strangers to frequent protests and marches against the surge in tourism, have taken to social media platforms to denounce the acts of vandalism.
"I am against excess tourism but also against graffiti. One thing does not take away from the other," one person declared.
Another voiced their opinion on social media, saying: "Now it turns out that Majorca's number one enemy is the tourist, without thinking that hundreds of thousands of people eat every day thanks to tourists. This should also be considered a hate crime."